Airline passenger building

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an air passenger building in which the docking places for the airplanes are distributed along essentially the whole outer periphery of the building. The invention is mainly characterized in that a departure waiting hall, which is possibly divisible in a number of gate sections extends along at least essentially the whole outer periphery of the building. Said departure waiting hall has gates to the respective airplane docking places in said periphery. Docking places and possible traffic loops for ground vehicles are likewise disposed along essentially the whole outer periphery of the building at a different level than the departure waiting hall. Control points such as check-in, passport control, baggage claim and customs control are arranged in a number of places circumferentially in the building in such a manner that all of the passenger movements occur essentially radially, first inwards and then outwards. The required circumferential movements, e.g., choice of gate section, essentially occur in the center of the building.

United States Patent 1 Billgren et al.

1 Oct. 22, 1974 AIRLINE PASSENGER BUILDING [75] Inventors: Karl Lennart Billgren, Stockholm,

Sweden; I-lans Hansson, Hantverkargatan 11, S-1 12 21 Stockholm, Sweden [73] Assignee: Said Hans Hanson, by said Karl L.

Billgren [22] Filed: Mar. 15, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 341,603

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 20, 1972 Sweden 3562/72 [52] US. Cl. 52/175, 52/33, 244/114 R [51] Int. Cl. E04h 6/00 [58] Field of Search 52/33, 174, 175, 176, 169, 52/169 DT; 104/28; 244/114 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,843,640 2/1932 Jackson et a1. 52/175 X 3.290.837 12/1966 Weston 52/175 X 3.427.766 2/1969 Goldberg Ct ill. 52/175 X 3,571,990 3/1971 Rossman 52/33 X Primary Examiner-Price C. Faw, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or FirmCushman, Darby & Cushman [5 7] ABSTRACT The present invention relates toan air passenger building in which the docking places for the airplanes are distributed along essentially the whole outer periphery of the building. The invention is mainly characterized in that a departure waiting hall, which is possibly divisible in a number of gate sections extends along at least essentially the whole outer periphery of the building. Said departure waiting hall has gates to the respective airplane docking places in said periphery. Docking places and possible traffic loops for ground vehicles are likewise disposed along essentially the whole outer periphery of the building at a different level than the departure waiting hall. Control points such as check-in, passport control, baggage claim and customs control are arranged in a number of places circumferentially in the building in such a manner that all of the passenger movements occur essentially radially, first inwards and then outwards. The required circumferential movements, e.g., choice of gate section, essentially occur in the center of the building.

16 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTED OCT 22 1974 suttnur? PATENTl-illum 2 2 I974 81842553 SHEET SN 7 LEVEL 3+4 iATENTED GET 2 2 1974 WHEN? PATENIEDIJBT 22 m4 31842. 553

am HI I AIRLINE PASSENGER BUILDING Previously known airline passenger buildings, terminals, for medium and large traffic volume, serving for example 20 or more airplanes, have the great disadvantage that the transport distances for passengers and baggage are so great as to be troublesome. The buildings are often bulky in themselves and thereby expensive. The bulky construction also requires large areas around the building for the concrete plate of the airport and also the other airport areas.

The purpose of the invention is to create an airline passenger building which does not have the above mentioned disadvantages. According to the invention, this is achieved with the airline passenger building being designed to provide exceptionally short walking distances for the passengers and allows for designs in which all of the vertical passenger movements are done without baggage. The baggage handling can also be made very efficient with short transport distances. The building is economical to construct but in spite of this it has especially great flexibility in regard to rearrangement of facilities as well as expansion.

Further advantages and characteristics of the invention are disclosed in the description below of an embodiment of the invention in the form of a circular airline passenger building, of a size large enough for 20 airplanes.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 shows the building shown from above,

FIGS. 25 show layouts for levels 0, l, 2, 3 and 4, respectively, of the building;

FIG. 6 shows a side view of the building on level 0, and

FIGS. 7 and 8 show diametric sections through the building taken along the lines AA and BB, respectively, in FIGS. 2-5.

Finally, FIG. 9 shows an alternative layout for level 1.

FIG. 1 shows the airline passenger building 1, around whose circular outer wall docking places are disposed for 20 airplanes. The connection between the airplanes and 20 gates 3, distributed along the outer wall of the building, is made in a known manner with moveable and extendable docks 5. FIG. 1 also shows how the concrete plate 7 could be constructed with appreciably less surface than what is required in a conventional airline passenger building of the finger type dimensioned for the same number of planes; primarily because with the circular airline passenger building a larger number of planes use the same strip for the taxiing in to the docking places than with a building of the finger type. FIG. 1 also shows the entering and exit tunnel 9 under the concrete plate 7 for ground vehicles and pedestrians.

The departure hall of the building is on level 0, FIG. 2, and is a circular room 1 1 in the center of the building. Around the departure hall 11 lie service spaces 13, such as passenger service, travel bureaus, shops, but also loading areas, storage rooms and machine rooms. Radially outside the service spaces 13 there is a traffic loop 15 with docking places for vehicles which are to leave passengers or goods at the building. The docking places are disposed along a docking ramp 17 which extends continuously around the service spaces 13 except at the entrances to the loading yards 19. A number of entrances 21 lead radially inward from the docking ramp 17 to the departure hall 11. The departure hall 11 also has a direct entrance 23 from a walkway 25 in the middle of the tunnel 9.

In the departure hall 1 1 the check-in desks 27 are disposed in a circle around the middle point of the building. The check-in desks are of flow-through type so that departing air passengers, after leaving their baggage, continue radially inwards in the building from the check-in desks. Furthermore, so-calle'd free check-in is employed, which means that the air passenger can freely choose the check-in desk, thus walking the shortest distance from the docking ramp 17, through the nearest entrance 21 and thereafter continuing radially inwards through the departure hall 11 to the closest check-in desk 27. After the air passenger has passed the check-in desks, he walks radially inwards to a number of passport controls 29 disposed in a circle around the middle of the building. He passes the nearest passport control 29 and goes radially inwards to the center surface 31 of the departure hall 11. Three escalators 33 lead therefrom up to the departure waiting hall on level 2, which will be described in more detail below. At the check-in desk 27 the passenger receives information concerning his departure gate, and from this information he chooses the escalator 33 which leads to the corresponding section of the departure waiting hall.

People who have accompanied the air passenger can reach an observation terrace 35 (FIGS. 68) on the roof of the building from the departure hall 11 with the help of elevators 37 going from the service spaces 13 on level 0. The departure hall 11 is also connected to level I by means of three peripherally arranged escalators 39. Level 1, as will be described in more detail below, contains the arrival and meeting halls.

A central light shaft extends above the departure hall 11 all the way up to the roof 41 of the building, which is constructed as a cable suspended overhung roof. The departure hall 11 is thus a central hall with very large volume. The three escalators 33 from the central surface 31 of the departure hall 11 lead up past level 1 to level 2, FIG. 4, where the departing air passenger goes radially out to a departure waiting hall 43, in this case an international waiting hall, which extends inside the whole outer periphery of the building. The outer wall of the departure waiting hall 43, which can be made completely of glass to offer a good view to the travelers, is provided with identical gates 3 distributed along the circumference with docks 5 for connection to the airplanes (not shown in FIG. 4). Along the inner periphery of the departure waiting hall 43, a ring of service spaces 45 are arranged for the passengers, for example restaurants 47, shops 49, tax-free shops 5] etc. If desired, special spaces for the searching of passangers can be arranged, connected to the escalator 33. Radially inside of the service spaces 45 there are supply rooms 53 and an inner ring of offices 55.

The service spaces 45 are arranged in three sectors with essentially the same service functions in each sector. The departure waiting hall 43 can also be divided up into three sectors with the help of dividing walls 56. For example in this way a third of the departure waiting hall can be screened off from the rest of the spaces and be used by certain airlines demanding searching of departing passengers. The traffic in the rest of the sections can flow unhindered by this searching. By duplication of the service spaces, passengers need not move more than within one sector.

Arriving passengers use the same gates 3 as the departing passengers and go from these gates to the passport controls 57 in the inner periphery of the departure waiting hall 43. Escalators 59 lead from the passport controls 57 down to the arrival halls 61 on level 1, FIG. 3.

Level 1 of the building, whose floor is level with the concrete slab of the airport, comprises spaces 63 arranged in an outer ring including three baggage halls 65, workshops and assembly places 67 for ramp material. Inside the spaces 63 there is a traffic loop 69 for ground vehicles, which are to pick up passengers or goods. The traffic loop 69 is connected with the tunnel 9 via an up-ramp 71 and a down-ramp 73. On the inside of the traffic loop 69 there is a dockring ramp 75. Between the docking ramp 75 and the arrival hall 61 there is a meeting hall 77. In the arrival hall 61 there are baggage carousels 79 for the baggage of the arriving passengers. The baggage carousels 79 are connected via conveyors 81, shown in FIG. 3 with dotted lines, to the baggage hall 65. Customs controls 83 are arranged between the arrival hall 61 and the meeting hall 77. Thus an arriving passenger has a very short distance to walk from the baggage carousel 79 through the customs control 83 and the meeting hall 77 to the docking ramp 75 for meeting vehicles. An escalator 39 leads from the meeting hall 77 down to the departure hall 11 on level 0.

As is level 2, level 1 is divided into three sectors containing essentially identical facilities in each of them. Thus it is also possible here to use one of the arrival halls 61 for special airlines which require special customs inspection, or for domestic air traffic without customs inspection.

Radial walkways 85 lead from the docking ramp 75 past the elevators 37 to an inner ring of service spaces 87 with a ring-shaped walkway 89 disposed inside them, running in a full circle on the innermost part of level 1 built up as a terrace. Air passengers as well as meeting or accompanying persons have access to this walkway, where all service functions on this level as well as on the departure hall 11 underneath on level can be observed due to the large free space of the central light shaft.

The placement of the arrival and meeting halls can, while retaining the division oflevel 1 into three sectors, be done so that the arrival hall and meeting hall are arranged beside one another circumferentially, see FIG. 9. Movement downward to level 0 can be arranged by escalators on the inner walkway 89.

Departing passengers baggage is transported from the check-in desks in the departure hall to the baggage halls 65 on level 1. The baggage is transported from the checkin desks first vertically upwards to suspended conveyors or downward to conveyors on the basement level, for example via culverts. Said conveyors comprise a first annular conveyor, with whose help baggage from an arbitrary check-in desk can be brought to one of three radial and then vertical conveyors which brings the baggage to the baggage halls 65. FIG. 8 shows two radial culverts 91 under level 0 of the departure hall 11, and elevators 93, connecting to the culverts, to the baggage halls 65.

Above level 2, which houses the departure waiting hall 43, there are two office levels (FIG. The offices are arranged in two rings 95 and 97 with an intermediate ring corridor 99, which is reached with the elevators 37. On the roof of the upper office level, there is an observation deck 35, possibly combined with refreshment service.

If desired, a parking garage can be arranged on the basement level under the departure hall. Track bound traffic to the building can even find stopping places on a level under the departure hall 11. Alternatively the track bound traffic can be led on level 0 to the periphery of the departure hall 11, in which case, however, the traffic loop 15 and the docking ramps 17 for ground vehicles must be rearranged or put on a lower level. Parking places for long and short term parking can be arranged outside of the building, in which case connection to the building is effected either via the walkway 25 to the departure hall 11 or via minibusses, for example, to level 0 and from level 1.

Between levels 0 and l and between levels 1 and 2 there can be placed a half level with office or store space or the like, which are then reached with the elevators 37. The building allows great flexibility as to the layout of each level, for rearrangement of various functions as well as for expansion. For example, the passport controls for departing passengers can alternatively be placed on level 2 connecting to the end of the escalator 33. Arriving passengers can alternatively be directed from the respective gate 3 directly, by means of the escalator or stairs, to the appropriate arrival hall 61. Conflict between the departing and arriving air passengers is thereby avoided. With the help of raisable and lowerable docks 5 it is also possible to direct arriving passengers directly through gates on level 1 to the arrival halls 61. If so desired, the building shown can easily be altered for so-called gate check-in, i.e., with the checkin desks at the respective gates. The departure hall, which would then be free of check-in desks and passport controls, could be moved to level 1 and be reached by escalators from the docking ramp 17 on level 0. Additional escalators then lead from level l to the departure waiting hall 43 on level 2. Expansion of the building for increasing the number of docking places for airplanes can be done simply by increasing the diameter of the building, which brings about an ap preciable increase in the available length of the facade. This increase in diameter increases the volume of the departure waiting hall, which would thereby correspond to the increased number of passengers. The service spaces can be increased by radial expansion inward over the central hall.

The building can be economically maintained as regards heating, water, sanitation and electricity by ringfeed technology which is known per se. The ventilation can also be made economically by feeding in heated fresh air into the offices, service spaces and passenger halls. The air flows from there into the large central hall and out through the traffic loops and the tunnel, thereby heating and ventilating these also. Thus the air is used three times.

What we claim is:

1. An air passenger building having an arrival hall and a departure hall, said building comprising docking places for airplanes distributed substantially along the whole outer periphery of said building, a plurality of gate sections extending substantially along said outer periphery which include entrances leading radially inwardly from said airplane docking places to said departure hall, said departure hall and said arrival hall being on different levels and each having adjacent traffic loops associated therewith disposed substantially along said whole outer periphery, wherein a check-in area is located centrally of said building and extends upwardly to the roof thereof to provide a light shaft, passenger passport and customs control points and baggage claim points being arranged circumferentially in said building so that all passenger movements will occur essentially in radially extending directions, first inwardly towards said departure hall and then outwardly away from said departure hall, the movements occuring essentially in the center of said building.

2. A building according to claim 1 wherein said departure hall also includes a central departure hall on a level with and radially inside docking places for ground vehicles, in which essentially radially extending means for conveying people connect said central departure hall with a peripheral departure waiting hall which lies on another level.

3. A building according to claim 2, wherein check-in desks are arranged in said central departure hall radially outside starting points of said means for conveying people.

4. A building according to claim 3, wherein passport controls are arranged in said central departure hall inside said check-in desks.

5. A building according to claim 3, wherein passport controls for departing passengers are arranged on the inner periphery of said departure waiting hall.

6. A building according to claim 2, wherein said desks are disposed at respective gates in said departure waiting hall.

7. A building according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of arrival halls, each with baggage claim, customs control and a meeting hall, are arranged in said building and are divided circumferentially and lie on a different level than said departure waiting hall and on the same level as said docking places for ground vehicles.

8. A building according to claim 6, wherein gates for arriving passengers are provided on the outer periphery of said departure waiting hall, connections to said arrival hall being arranged at the inner periphery of said departure waiting hall, preferably connected to said passport controls.

9. A building according to claim 7, wherein direct connections for arriving passengers are provided between a respective arrival gate and an arrival hall.

10. A building according to claim 8, wherein service spaces for passengers are arranged on the inner periphery of said departure waiting hall.

11. A building according to claim 6, wherein said departure waiting hall is situated higher than the arrival halls which are situated higher than said central departure hall.

12. A building according to claim 11, wherein said central light shaft extends down to said central departure hall.

13. A building according to claim 12, wherein spaces for flying personnel and offices are arranged on floors above said departure waiting hall.

14. A building according claim 13, wherein said building is made up of a number of sections with essentially the same function and construction in each of them.

15. A building according to claim 13, wherein the outer peiphery of the building, at least on the level with said departure waiting hall, is elliptical or softly triangular, and the inner periphery of said departure waiting hall is circular.

16. A building according to claim 15, wherein one ore more baggage conveyors circumferentially running are arranged next to check-in desks and on a different level than radial conveyors which run to baggage halls disposed along the outer periphery of the building. 

1. An air passenger building having an arrival hall and a departure hall, said building comprising docking places for airplanes distributed substantially along the whole outer periphery of said building, a plurality of gate sections extending substantially along said outer periphery which include entrances leading radially inwardly from said airplane docking places to said departure hall, said departure hall and said arrival hall being on different levels and each having adjacent traffic loops associated therewith disposed substantially along said whole outer periphery, wherein a check-in area is located centrally of said building and extends upwardly to the roof thereof to provide a light Shaft, passenger passport and customs control points and baggage claim points being arranged circumferentially in said building so that all passenger movements will occur essentially in radially extending directions, first inwardly towards said departure hall and then outwardly away from said departure hall, the movements occuring essentially in the center of said building.
 2. A building according to claim 1 wherein said departure hall also includes a central departure hall on a level with and radially inside docking places for ground vehicles, in which essentially radially extending means for conveying people connect said central departure hall with a peripheral departure waiting hall which lies on another level.
 3. A building according to claim 2, wherein check-in desks are arranged in said central departure hall radially outside starting points of said means for conveying people.
 4. A building according to claim 3, wherein passport controls are arranged in said central departure hall inside said check-in desks.
 5. A building according to claim 3, wherein passport controls for departing passengers are arranged on the inner periphery of said departure waiting hall.
 6. A building according to claim 2, wherein said desks are disposed at respective gates in said departure waiting hall.
 7. A building according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of arrival halls, each with baggage claim, customs control and a meeting hall, are arranged in said building and are divided circumferentially and lie on a different level than said departure waiting hall and on the same level as said docking places for ground vehicles.
 8. A building according to claim 6, wherein gates for arriving passengers are provided on the outer periphery of said departure waiting hall, connections to said arrival hall being arranged at the inner periphery of said departure waiting hall, preferably connected to said passport controls.
 9. A building according to claim 7, wherein direct connections for arriving passengers are provided between a respective arrival gate and an arrival hall.
 10. A building according to claim 8, wherein service spaces for passengers are arranged on the inner periphery of said departure waiting hall.
 11. A building according to claim 6, wherein said departure waiting hall is situated higher than the arrival halls which are situated higher than said central departure hall.
 12. A building according to claim 11, wherein said central light shaft extends down to said central departure hall.
 13. A building according to claim 12, wherein spaces for flying personnel and offices are arranged on floors above said departure waiting hall.
 14. A building according claim 13, wherein said building is made up of a number of sections with essentially the same function and construction in each of them.
 15. A building according to claim 13, wherein the outer peiphery of the building, at least on the level with said departure waiting hall, is elliptical or softly triangular, and the inner periphery of said departure waiting hall is circular.
 16. A building according to claim 15, wherein one ore more baggage conveyors circumferentially running are arranged next to check-in desks and on a different level than radial conveyors which run to baggage halls disposed along the outer periphery of the building. 